Ji Shanhai couldn't help but glance at Lin Xun again. My sister was right about him. Who else in this world would risk everything to save her like this?

As a descendant of an Eternal Divine Clan, she naturally knew best the immense power of their foundation—the clan was a colossus that countless beings in the Eternal True Realm could only look up to.

Even Eternals would have to bow their heads! However, Lin Xun was different. He didn't care about any of that, as if he had already disregarded life and death.

Xi pondered for a moment, then said, "Lin Xun, this is no longer just a matter of the Ji Clan alone; it also involves the Taihao Clan. Their wedding procession will arrive tomorrow. At this critical juncture, the entire Ji Clan will not tolerate any accidents."

She looked at Lin Xun, about to continue, but saw him give a helpless, bitter smile, saying, "Senior, if you continue to try to dissuade me from getting involved, then I will act according to my own will."

Concern often clouded a person’s judgment. Xi was clearly worried about him being implicated by her issue and facing death for it. However, how could he care about such things?

As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes; he was about to perform a soul search on Ji Molei. The latter, silent since being forced to kneel, suddenly spoke, seemingly sensing danger, "Lin Xun! I know who you are!"

He struggled, his expression ashen and filled with murderous intent. "But I must tell you, even if you were the sect leader of the Origin Sect, you will not escape death on the Ji Clan’s territory!"

Lin Xun's eyes flashed with disdain. This old bastard clearly didn't understand his predicament. He was about to attack, but stopped. Someone else had arrived.

"Xi'er, your father has come to see you." A weary, hoarse voice rang out from outside the room.

Father!

Ji Shanhai and Ji Xi exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat helpless. If their father were to see the scene in this room at this moment... Unfortunately, before they could react, the door was pushed open, and another group of people entered.

Leading the group was a tall, thin, middle-aged man with a gaunt appearance. His brows were furrowed with barely concealed weariness. This man was none other than Ji Wangtu, the head of the Ji Clan! Upon seeing the state of the room, Ji Wangtu's pupils constricted sharply, his weariness vanishing in a flash of cold sternness. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

His gaze swept over Ji Molei and the others on the ground, then over Xi and Shanhai, finally settling on Lin Xun. "What happened here?"

At this moment, Ji Wangtu displayed the composure expected of the head of the clan, remaining calm and collected despite the alarming circumstances.

However, the group of people who had accompanied him were far from calm. Their faces changed drastically, and they cried out.

"Ji Xi, are you going back on your word?"

"You...you've already attacked Second Elder and the others?"

"Are you two sisters planning on betraying the clan?"

These people were all high-ranking figures in the Ji Clan, of the same generation as the clan leader Ji Wangtu, and were the uncles and aunts of Ji Xi and Ji Shanhai. At this moment, they were all filled with anger and their faces were grim.

Some even stepped forward to help Ji Molei and the others up. However, embarrassingly, no matter how hard they tried, Ji Molei and the others remained motionless, forced into a kneeling position. This only fueled the crowd's shock and anger.

"What exactly is going on?" Ji Wangtu asked in a deep voice.

Bang! The door slammed shut abruptly. Then, Lin Xun calmly said, "I am Lin Xun. I have come to take Xi and Shanhai away. These kneeling people have spoken rudely to me and attempted to obstruct me; I had no choice but to punish them."

His explanation, casual and unassuming, shocked everyone. Lin Xun! His name had already spread throughout the various heaven domains; how could the Ji Clan not know of him? However, no one had expected that he would appear in the core territory of their clan. This was too unexpected.

For a moment, everyone was filled with doubt and surprise. Before long, someone shouted angrily, "This is a private area of the Ji Clan! How did you get in?"

Lin Xun couldn't help but laugh. "This place is not a dragon's den or a tiger's lair for me; of course, I simply walked in."

"Lin Xun, I think you're tired of living..." interjected someone else with a gloomy face, but before he could finish, he was suppressed and forced to his knees. His body convulsed, and he was unable to utter a sound despite his struggles.

This shocked Ji Wangtu and the others, for Lin Xun hadn't even made a move, yet the man had already been subdued!

"Speak properly if you have something to say, or kneel on the ground and listen obediently," Lin Xun said calmly.

The crowd was filled with shock and anger. Being threatened like this on their own turf was a humiliation they had never experienced before.

Xi sighed inwardly after witnessing this. A resolute glint appeared in her clear eyes as she swept her gaze over the crowd and said, "Father, uncles, Lin Xun came to save me. I hope you will not hold this against me. Otherwise, when the Taihao Clan's wedding procession arrives tomorrow, I will not hesitate to refuse this marriage in front of everyone. At that time, it will be the entire Ji Clan that loses face!"

Her voice was cold and resolute. Ji Wangtu's eyes were filled with complex emotions, a mixture of guilt and sorrow welling up within him. He knew his daughter had only agreed to the marriage to protect his position as clan leader; so how could he possibly blame her for her reckless behavior now?

However, those around Ji Wangtu were all unsettled, their expressions a mixture of shock and anger.

"Xi'er, do you know how serious the consequences of doing this will be?" someone asked grimly.

"Xi'er, you mustn't do anything foolish, not only for yourself but also for your father, you must think carefully," someone said anxiously.

"Xi'er..."

These uncles and aunts of Xi spoke up one after another, their expressions filled with a mixture of coldness, anxiety, and worry. Each person's expression and attitude were different. Lin Xun observed all of this and had roughly determined who was acting in Xi's best interest and who were the villains.

Finally, Ji Wangtu interjected, saying, "Xi'er, do you know why I've come to see you?"

Xi was startled, then whispered, "Please enlighten me, Father."

Ji Wangtu took a deep breath and said, "I don't want to be the clan leader anymore!!"

His words were like a thunderbolt appearing in a clear sky! The entire room was stunned, and disbelief appeared on everyone’s face. Even Xi and Shanhai were frozen in shock.

"Father! You mustn't!" Xi was unusually agitated at this moment.

Ji Wangtu waved his hand, saying, "You don't need to persuade me. As a father, if I have to let my daughter suffer injustice at every turn to keep my position as the clan leader, then what use is it to me?"

"Father..." Xi and Ji Shanhai's eyes reddened, tears welling up. Ji Wangtu revealed a magnanimous smile, saying, "I've thought it through. Even if I'm seen as a sinner against the clan, even if I've completely offended the Taihao Clan, my first priority is to shoulder my responsibility as a father. If I can't even protect my own daughters, then I, Ji Wangtu, will be filled with guilt and unease for the rest of my life!"

As he spoke, he seemed to lighten up, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, his expression resolute. "As for the position of clan leader, whoever wants it can have it. Even if I lose this immense power, I will do everything in my power to protect you two sisters, and I will never let you suffer again."

Although Xi remained calm, tears welled up uncontrollably. She had already resigned herself to her fate. However, she had never expected that on the day before her wedding, Lin Xun would come knocking, determined to take her away from this hellish place.

Even more unexpectedly, her father was willing to relinquish his position as clan leader, just to avoid further suffering. All of this stirred her emotions. It was like being in the depths of despair when suddenly seeing bright sunshine; her heart surged with overwhelming joy.

Ji Shanhai, on the other hand, was filled with joy and excitement. In her eyes, her father's image suddenly became flesh and blood, and he was no longer the aloof, unsmiling, cold, and seemingly heartless clan leader.

On the other hand, some were extremely anxious, saying, "Clan Head, if you do this, our lineage will suffer a devastating blow. Then, it won't just be a few people suffering, but instead all of us!"

"Yes, Clan Leader, if you relinquish your power, we...we'll likely be imprisoned as criminals, subjected to unimaginable torture and humiliation."

Many people spoke up to dissuade him.

Ji Wangtu shook his head, saying, "Rest assured, everyone. When I relinquish my clan leadership, I will make a request that none of you be implicated."

Clearly, he had already considered these matters.

"This..." The expressions on their faces were uncertain.

Lin Xun was also deeply touched by all of this. His impression of Ji Wangtu had changed considerably. Perhaps in the past, this father had been incompetent, but it wasn't too late to pull back from the brink. At least, at this moment, he was worthy of being the father of Xi and Shanhai!

"Clan Leader, putting aside all that, how should we resolve the current situation?"

Suddenly, someone's eyes turned cold. "Lin Xun is a common enemy of all the Eternal Divine Clans. His appearance here, and the suppression of our clansmen, if we allow him to leave alive..."

This was clearly someone with malicious intentions! Ji Wangtu frowned, clearly feeling an immense sense of unease. Before he arrived, he never expected Lin Xun to appear here, and it seemed he intended to take his two daughters away, even going so far as to suppress Ji Molei and his group!

Such intentions were obvious to him; Lin Xun was completely on his daughters' side, even risking his own life for them. However, this was the Ji Clan’s stronghold!

Who in the world would dare to risk everything to save Ji Wangtu's daughters like Lin Xun? Meanwhile, Xi and Shanhai were equally conflicted and helpless. If Lin Xun were anyone else, he wouldn't be in such a state.

However, he was the Pavilion Master of Origin Clarity Pavilion, a successor of Fangchun Mountain, and a thorn in the side of the various Eternal Divine Clans! Unfortunately, this was the stronghold of the Ji Clan. Under these circumstances, even keeping his life intact was extremely difficult!

In the midst of this oppressive atmosphere, someone suddenly turned and left, attempting to rush out of the room. With a loud bang, the man not only failed to open the tightly closed door, but was also thrown back by the impact, stumbling and falling to the ground.

Lin Xun's eyes flashed with mockery as he said, "So you're planning to tip people off, expose everything, and thus achieve your goal of eliminating me, Lin Xun?"